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Member Reviews

I had such a great time reading Love At First Fright. It delivered exactly what I wanted in a silly, fun romance but still managed to be surprisingly compelling. The balance between the romance and the actual storyline was handled so well. I appreciated that the plot didn’t fade away once the romantic tension kicked in, which happens way too often in books like this. Both sides of the story kept me hooked all the way through, and I loved how invested I was by the end. It was such a fun, satisfying read.

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This was my first time reading Nadia's writing and there was so much I loved about this book!

I loved the great representation of the LGBTQIA+ community, the spooky atmosphere, pop culture references and the dogs were absolute perfection. I could have used a little more banter and tension before the spice, but it didn't deter from the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I truly enjoyed this read from Nadia, but I'm not surprised because I also really enjoyed Best Hex Ever last year!
Rosemary is a writer who can see the dead, and the story is set inside a manor with spirits who just won't leave, and that gave this the perfect spooky vibe without it being actually scary. Poor Ellis just wants to live a reserved life and stop trying to keep up with being a heartthrob in the movie industry, and here comes Rosemary trying to kick him out of the starring role in her movie. What ensues is a fun mix of spooky hijinks, banter, and plenty of spice to keep things sizzling. While there are lots of spicy moments, this story also really hits you in the feels while showing how hard grieving the loss of a pet will be, and I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion. Ellis and Rosemary both experienced some solid character growth throughout this book, and it was beautiful to see them eventually be there for each other as each one battled their insecurities, grief, and general life crises. By the end, I was truly invested in their budding romance. Overall fun, spicy, and surprisingly emotional read!

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Arc Review

You had me at horror author FMC who can actually see ghosts. I also love that she loves Crimson Peak because SAME. This would be a perfect cozy spooky season read! There were so many moving parts to this one and I really enjoyed how it all came together. The story was cozy and the Hallowvale manor setting in the UK added a bit of mystery and intrigue.
This book has really good LBGTQIA representation as well(Main and side characters)The mishaps between our two main characters to cause their feuding had me laughing. I enjoyed the D/S dynamic between the characters. The spice was SPICING. This tugged at my heart more than I expected it too and had me in my feels multiple times.

Tropes/Things to expect
*Haunted London Manor in October
*Feuding FMC/MMC
*Age Gap
*Ghosts
*Movie Star MMC
*Author FMC
*LBGTQIA representation
*Dominant/Sub dynamic
*Spice 🔥. Praise. Talks her through it (IYKYK)

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If Casper—Devon Sawa style—was part of your romance lore origin story, this one’s definitely in your lane.

Love at First Fright is a cozy, witchy paranormal romance with a cute setup: a horror author who can see ghosts and a Hollywood heartthrob reluctantly cast in the movie adaptation of her book. It’s got a haunted English manor, a ghost dog, and even a little queer ghost love story tucked in. Total spooky-season vibes in the best way.

The premise was super fun, and I loved the atmosphere. The ghost characters were honestly some of my faves. There were also some thoughtful threads around grief, shame, and the fear of being truly seen, which added emotional depth.

That said, it leaned hard into insta-lust. And I’m someone who thrives on banter, tension, and a good slow-burn payoff—this jumped into spice pretty early without enough emotional groundwork for me. Still, I had a good time with it. The writing is solid, the vibes are strong, and the setting? Chef’s kiss.

If you like haunted houses, steamy scenes, and a little ghostly mischief (with a dash of millennial nostalgia), give it a go.

Tropes: paranormal romance, enemies-to-lovers, age gap, forced proximity, haunted house, insta-lust, D0m-Sub dynamic, found family (ghost edition)

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Having really liked El-Fassi's other book in this series, I was excited to read the next one...needless to say I was not disappointed. While sometimes zero to sixty romances where everyone has to do a 100% about face from their fundamental personalities can be a hard sell, here it just kind of works. I think the supernatural setting ups the suspension of disbelief to a point that everything else feels totally fine!

All together this book is a nice blend of cozy and spice. It features characters with the standard tragic pasts and relationship traumas. He is a famous hunk who is more than meets the eye, she is not like other girls and they instantly fall in lust (what an odd pair? a geek and a jock? who has ever?) Add in some ghosts that are up to hijinks, a little blackmail and movie-making shenanigans...this is a book you will not want to put down. Romcom nonsense at its finest, fans of the genre will love it.

Add this one, and its companion in the series, to your spooky fall reads pile and prepare to be entertained.

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I enjoyed Best Hex Ever more, but Love At First Fright was also very cute. Nadia El-Fassi is officially one of my favorite romance authors. Rosemary was a relatable protagonist. I enjoyed her chemistry with Ellis.

El-Fassi also does a good job at incorporating the supernatural elements and balancing them with the romance of the book. Additionally, I like how friendships are just as valued in these books too. It was nice seeing characters from Best Hex Ever again. I am very excited to have a copy of this book on my shelves next to Best Hex Ever.

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The story, and writing were solid. My only issue with the book was the characters. They didn’t feel like whole people and the spice was almost too much

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This one seemed very promising, but ultimately I had a very hard time getting into it and dnf at about 20%

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I really enjoyed this. I liked that Rosemary was a horror writer and not a typical romance novel star. I think the LGBTQIA+ representation was tasteful and so well done, I honestly found myself entirely too emotional about Hank and Ellis. My heart literally breaks thinking about the loss of an animal, and even thinking that maybe they stick around for a bit to ensure that we are okay gives me so much hope. The third act "break up"/ "disagreement" needed to happen for Ellis' character growth. The ending would not have been complete without it.

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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! This is the second book by Nadia El-Fassi that I have read, and while I think I enjoyed Best Hex Ever more, I did find myself really drawn to Rosemary's character in Love at First Fright. Since she was young, Rosemary Shaw can see and communicate with ghosts. It has helped fuel her career as a horror writer, and now one of her books is being adapted into a feature film! There's just one problem: the leading actor, Ellis Finch, Rosemary is convinced, is completely wrong for the part. But for Ellis, this is an opportunity to break out of his action star role to participate in a more serious film, if only the writer and one of the producers, Rosemary, would give him a chance.

Much like in Best Hex Ever, I was often more interested in Rosemary's career as a horror writer, her interests and insecurities as someone branching into a new stage of their career, and of course her powers as someone who can communicate with the dead. While I love an enemies to lovers plot as much as the next person, and Rosemary and Ellis' dynamic grew on me, I did find it hard in the beginning to see the attraction between the two of them, as it felt a bit forced. Later in book, I liked how they naturally bonded and their tenderness and understanding of each other's needs, their past losses and insecurities grew. Overall, I was just less interested in Ellis as a character in the beginning, but I appreciated that his character developed more nuance over time, especially as he explores his bisexuality. Rosemary's friendships with Dina and Immy always warmed my heart, and I loved the ruminations that this book gave on the many forms of grief that Rosemary and Ellis experience that eventually brings them closer together.

Nadia El-Fassi is fast becoming an auto-read author for me, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

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While I thought the premise seemed promising, I was ultimately not able to get into the book. While I did finish it, there were several parts that were a slog to get through. The background story sometimes read a bit confusing.

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Cozy, spooky, spicy paranormal romance! A writer is off to London to film her book to movie adaptation and she has a dislike to lovers type situation with the lead actor. I really enjoyed this book. It had lots of fun paranormal aspects with spice that was spicing and a cast of characters that made this story! It you’re looking for a cozy romance i definitely recommend giving this one a try!

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It’s hard to believe that a book with witches and lesbian ghosts can be so damn relatable. Also, who doesn’t love a golden retriever Dom that’s absolutely obsessed with his sub??

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This was a strong 3.5 read for me. The cover is gorgeous, the premise is enticing, and I loved the characters. There was a lot going on though, plotwise and with the characters, and it didn't all add anything to the story. I also felt like there was a lot of "telling" instead of "showing" in the writing style which was annoying. Overall this was a fun read, but not really my jam.

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This is such a great follow-up to Best Hex Ever, following one of Dina's best friends. It's just as cosy, and makes for a perfect comfort read. Since Rosemary can see ghosts, there are two ghostly storylines, and those were both so heartwarming. And the romance was just really great, I loved both characters.

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I loved this book. The storyline was interesting and fun but at the same time it pulled on the emotional heartstrings of the reader at just the right time. I loved that Rosemary could see ghosts and write horror novels but not because she was afraid because she found it invigorating. That theme seemed to weave throughout the novel and through the characters as they faced their own challenges. Overall, this book was reflective and heartwarming while still having the spice and fun you want.

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Love at first fright kept me intrigued through each chapter. The banter? Love. The fright? Love. Five out of five stars for my first Nadia El-Fassi read!

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Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi is a sweet, cozy romance with a fun paranormal twist. I loved the premise of a writer and an actor being thrown together on the set of a haunted film. It's charming and creative, and the ghostly element adds a warm, whimsical vibe rather than anything spooky or scary.

The beginning of the book was fast-paced and engaging, with likable characters and a setting that felt easy to fall into. Rosemary and Ellis had great chemistry, and the haunted film set made for such a fun backdrop. The ghosts were unexpectedly cozy and sweet, which gave the book a unique charm.

That said, once Rosemary and Ellis officially got together, the pacing noticeably slowed down. The middle of the story dragged a bit, and then the final conflict came in abruptly near the end. I found the climax confusing, especially Rosemary's reaction. The conflict itself didn’t feel very grounded or authentic, and the resolution came so quickly that it left me wanting more emotional depth or clarity.

Overall, this was a light and enjoyable read perfect for a cozy weekend. If you’re looking for a paranormal romcom with a Hallmark-movie feel and a touch of ghostly charm, this one is worth checking out!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC!

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Honestly this one was a bit of a miss for me, I did not buy the romance between the 2 MCs and it all felt quite forced. Again very insta-lovey which seems to be a common theme for this author. I liked the plot but not how rushed everything felt.

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